Design for Service

The Future of Design

The International Herald Tribune carries a debate from the World Economic Forum between Hilary Cottam, John Maeda, Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn on key themes that will define the role of design in the years to come.

Hilary Cottam presented “design as a political force—the ways in which a design approach has real power to address the big social issues of our time.” She advocated using design to encourage people to change their behavior. Cottam also addressed the role of design in policy making, arguing that designers are better equipped than politicians to understand the ambiguities and contradictions of daily life. She suggested that since “designers understand the power of story telling,” they should be more adept at explaining political issues to the public, and that every parliament should include at least one designer.